


Just Around The Corner

by Missy



Category: Calvin & Hobbes
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Family, Gen, Humor, Violence, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-11
Updated: 2014-11-11
Packaged: 2018-02-24 23:42:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2600666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/pseuds/Missy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the zombies descend life proceeds along as normal.  Well, as normally as possible...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Around The Corner

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Zombiefest '14, prompt: 061. Calvin and Hobbes -- Susie, Calvin, Hobbes -- Living near to Calvin turns out to have left Susie prepared for *anything* (Repost 2013 094.)

Zombies were pretty easy to fool, Susie decided. Most of them were pretty shy and liked hiding until it was dark; the ones that dared to come out during the daylight hours were often easily picked off because they were so completely desperate for meat. 

This one had made the mistake of shambling up the driveway while she and her dad were out buying groceries. Her father responded with a surprisingly quick twist of the steering wheel, eliminating the threat by quickly running the offending zombie into the concrete garage wall, spattering it in a wave of gore across the concrete.

Susie had grown accustomed to the mess involved in re-killing the living dead, but it still made her turn up her nose. Why must it always involve such messy work? And why did zombies always insist upon dying in places that forced you to step over their mottled guts and putrid chunks of brain matter? Susie stuck out her tongue as she climbed out of the car and watched as a melting glop of tissue that had once been adhered to the side of the car thickly dripped onto the concrete. “That is disgusting.”

Her father nodded his head. “But that disgusting mess means we’ll live one day longer.” Susie groaned and reached for her safety belt. “Don't complain so much,” her father said. “Being grossed out builds character.”

She rolled her eyes and unlatched Mr. Buns’ belt, too. “Calvin’s dad says that all the time, but I don’t believe him.”

“According to that windbag, EVERYTHING builds character.” He coughed. “But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t listen to him when you go over to visit Calvin! Now be a sweetheart and help daddy unload the car, will you?” 

Susie jumped to the task, taking a single paper sack while her farther took the majority of the bags into his arms. They stumbled through the garage door into the kitchen, where her mother waited.

“There’s my darling!” Susie received a kiss to the forehead as her mother grabbed the sack. “How were…things?” she asked, with a ludicrous amount of emphasis on the final word.

“One in the drive – don’t worry about it, he’s dead,” her father shrugged. 

“Did you manage not to get this one all over the car?”

He smiled. “I’ll wash the tires after we put these away.”

Susie helped as much as she could, Mr. Bun tucked under her arm as she passed boxes of cereal and packages of meat from her father’s hands to her mother’s, forming a human chain. She could almost pretend that everything was normal outside when they gathered together this way – until she heard the occasional distant rumble of gunfire. Then she had to force herself to be brave.

When it was said and done, her father gave her a playful nudge. “Wanna cover me while I wash the car?”

“On the double!” Susie said. She grabbed Mr. Bun and raced for the safety of her room, then opened a window. 

Reaching under the bed, Susie dragged out an array of squirt guns. She double-checked to make sure they were all loaded before running toward the window with Mr. Bun by her side.

She waved to her dad as he left the house with a bucket of soapy water, but her attention was soon quickly divided by another presence.

“Hey Susie!” Calvin yelled from his upstairs window. She rolled her eyes as he rolled his eyes, a wave of foam bubbling forth from his mouth. “They got me, Susie! Soon I’m going to be a super-powerful zombie!!” 

Her nose wrinkled. “Eew! Did you stuff a bunch of Alka-Seltzer in your mouth?”

“No,” he said, as if he were speaking to somebody who was particularly ignorant, “I told you, they bit me!” He waved his right arm, which had been clearly covered with globs of strawberry jelly

Susie knew exactly how to react to Calvin’s silliness though – and that was by squirting a stream of water in the face. Her parents told her it was holy water, and that they got it by the bucketful from the nearest church. It seemed to do the trick on zombies, and it didn’t have a corrosive effect t on humans.

Calvin fell, sputtering, below the window frame, and she rolled her eyes before turning them toward the sidewalk. As she watched her dad trundle back into the house and realized she hadn’t worried as much about his trip outside as she normally did.

Hmmmm. Maybe she might have to thank Calvin for that.

She decided she’d think it over while having tea with Mr. Bun, and then shut the door on the outside world.

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfiction uses characters from **Calvin and Hobbes** , all of whom are the property of **Bill Watterson**. No money was earned from the writing of this piece of fanfiction, and the author makes no legal claim upon the characters within.


End file.
